


The Old Town

by a_different_equation



Series: Johnlock Around The World [3]
Category: ANDERSEN Hans Christian - Works, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Christmas, Denmark - Freeform, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Frozen (2013) References, Gift Giving, Holmes Brothers, Love Stories, M/M, Magical Realism, Museums, Romance, Scandinavia, Secret Santa, Sweet Sherlock, Wooing, or more nissen because it's Denmark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2017-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-12 04:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9055525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_different_equation/pseuds/a_different_equation
Summary: Once upon a time there were two boys. This is the story how once upon December, they found the missing Christmas Spirit, true love and new beginnings.A Queer fairytale for all seasons.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Denmark! 
> 
> 'The Old Town' (former title: 'Frozen in Time') is an atypical Christmas Story because it brings our beloved BBC SHERLOCK characters and pairings to Scandinavia. And if that's not unusual enough, it is an museum!AU, and all of this happens in December. 
> 
> However, as we all know: Johnlock (and all the others) work in all universes. Therefore, let me take you by the hand and show you the different but all-familiar world --- with a touch of magical realism.
> 
> Lastly, 'tak' (= 'thanks') to my marvellous beta pipmer who polished my tale, and to all of you: 'God Jul' (='Merry Christmas')!

 

_Take you by the hand,_

_Show you the Promised Land,_

_Where love and passion will prevail,_

_[And] nobody Fails._

_(Simsala Grimm)_

 

Once upon a time there were two boys.

They were brothers, in fact, and their names were Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Every December they would visit ‘The Old Town’, the famous open-air museum in Aarhus (Denmark) with their parents. There, they would stroll through the houses, they would gasp over the Christmas decorations, and they would count all the _nissen_. It was one of their best childhood memories: of a time in which Sherlock still had his dog and Mycroft was a proper big brother. Back then, they still believed in Happy Endings and in the Christmas Spirit. However, times changed and so did the boys. They turned out to be smart men but not particularly wise ones: the older brother Mycroft, picked the work over everything else, while the younger brother Sherlock, buried all his emotions.

When our story starts, the only thing that they still have in common is that both brothers work at ‘The Old Town’.

 

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‘The Old Town’, or Danish _Den Gamle By_ , is an Open Air/living museum in Aarhus (Denmark). First opened in 1914, up to 400,000 people come to visit it every year.

In 75 historical buildings, visitors can explore town culture between 1550 and the late 19th century. In total, there are 27 rooms, chambers or kitchens, 34 workshops and 10 groceries. Furthermore, there are five historical gardens, a post office and a customs office, a school and a theatre.

The starting point more than a century ago was the Manor. It was the very first building that was brought to ‘The Old Town’ and rebuilt. Nowadays, the heart of the old part of the museum (there are two newer parts in which you can explore the 20th and 21st century) is the marketplace. Together with the six shops including a bookshop, diners and a bakery, they all add to the illusion of a “living” town.

The specialty of ‘The Old Town’ is, and Danish living-museums are quite famous for this, the museum staff working in the roles of town figures. You can imagine them as actors recreating semi-fictional characters from the past. Though some of them are volunteers, all museum staff are experts in their particular field. Not only can they entertain the visitors with their story of the day, but also educate, answer all relevant and trivial questions, and act as your personal guide.

So where do you find what building and who works where?

Sherlock Holmes works as a pharmacist. He brought his knowledge from his chemistry degree to the museum. In particular, he is proud of the Pharmacy Garden. Each of the 91 squares contains one type of flowering plant. All of those plants have been used for medical purposes in the mid-1750s, including henbane, thorn apple, mistletoe, hop, belladonna, blue anemones and aniseed.

Sherlock's brother, Mycroft, acts as the mayor of the town. Before Mycroft came to Aarhus, he occupied a minor position in the Danish Parliament; it seemed only fitting that he should be the mayor in 'The Old Town'. Mycroft loves doing his tours through the city, once per hour, wearing his robe so that he is easily identified. Routinely, he starts at the marketplace and looks at the announcements and excerpts of the old newspapers first. Privately, his favourite story is the one about the plan to build a skyscraper in New York City that is even higher than the Eiffel Tour in Paris (spoiler: It is the Empire State Building).

Then there is Mike Stamford who is now the proud owner of the bookshop. Once, he was a doctor, trained in the same university as a certain Dr. John H. Watson. John, instead of becoming a GP or working in an emergency room or as a trauma surgeon, joined His Majesty’s Army. Sadly, John was wounded in action, shot in the shoulder and was sent back home to Denmark. There, he fell in love with Copenhagen and Mary. He settled into civilian life with marriage and a teaching position, and lately, was expecting fatherhood until domesticity turned into a new, unexpected and overall unpleasant battlefield. Therefore, when John needed a clean break from Copenhagen, urban life and a new purpose in general, his old friend Mike (who volunteered for years already in 'The Old Town' as an outlet to the teaching position at the medical school in Aarhus) suggested that John join the museum staff as a schoolteacher.

Gregory Lestrade, or Greg as his friends call him, “owns” the tavern. Here, he even brews the beer. You have to know that ‘The Old Town’ is not only a museum but it is almost as famous (some might even say more) for being the home to many food products. Maybe you have been walking through an aisle in your local supermarket and have spotted marmalade that reads _Den Gamble By_ ; if so, now you do know the origin.

You can get another taste of Denmark in the bakery. Molly Hooper's passion is pastry. The Danes are proud about their pastry. With taxes high on butter, salt and sugar, the cuisine and confectionary have come up with inventive wonderful tasty solutions. If you have a sweet tooth, Denmark is the country to visit.

Mrs. Hudson runs a convenience store in which more gossip than products are traded. Her famous line is, when again giving a great discount to a customer, to say “Just this once”. The store is almost bursting with products, and more than once Sherlock has offered to index it, but even as an elderly woman, Mrs. Hudson is – as the name over the entrance states prominently – speedy on her feet.

Lastly, there is Phillip Anderson, who uses his job as a tailor to flirt with the female visitors when he is not involved with Sally Donovan (again). There is the rumour that his wife left him, or his old boss fired him, and maybe even both rumours are true. At least Sherlock, who calls Anderson an idiot on a daily basis, would not think it impossible. Therefore, no one really understands what Sally sees in him.

Sally is a black woman, who works as a waitress in Greg’s tavern. She is actually quite competent and is known for taking no shit from overbearing customers. As we all know, the Dane are a cheerful nation that indulges in alcohol. It is actually true that one of the richest families in Denmark made their fortune at the border with tax-free shops; with taxes up to 25% on alcohol, it is hardly surprising.

Sally has a new colleague, Sharon Hopkins, who is making no secret in being utterly besotted with Molly Hooper. Hopkins – she is called by her last name by her request – is a graduate student. Originally, the job at ‘The Old Town’ was only a job to earn some extra money during the semester break; yet she toys with the idea of continuing to work in the museum after graduation. Not as a waitress, mind you, but maybe in the public relations team. People from all over the world visit ‘The Old Town’, and Hopkins, with a migrant background and her major in Culture Studies, might be the perfect fit for it. However, it is early days yet; autumn has only reached ‘The Old Town’. It is October and both women are cute together. Who knows what the next months will bring?

 

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And this is the point when our story really, truly, starts.

And like all good stories, it starts with a book.

 

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John gives Sherlock a book about poisonous plants.

One might say that it is a bit not good but for Sherlock, the man who claims that everything is about work; it is the exact right gift. Sherlock, as I have said in the exposition, is proud about his accomplishments. He loves to experiment and hates historical inaccuracies, and it is no secret that the murderous plants are more his field of expertise than the medical ones. It is not that Sherlock does not know about medicine, but the other side of it is just so much more exciting! Sherlock ponders days on end about the question whether it was easier to murder people because of the limits of knowledge or not. Without forensic sciences, it should be far more difficult to detect culprits. On the other hand, modern investigation mostly focuses on modern methods of killing someone, so old-fashioned plants and mixtures do not show up on standard screenings. Lastly, after all, poison is more of a woman’s choice of a murder weapon but it takes no Sherlock Holmes to realize that not every murderer is a woman and not every female killer uses poison.

To sum it up: it was the perfect gift from John to Sherlock.

 

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The same goes for the baked goods that appear during Mycroft’s rare hour of rest around midday.

It is the 1st of December, actually, and the weather is not very inviting for the upcoming holiday season. ‘The Old Town’ does have a special tradition: every year in December, it is transformed into a Winter Wonderland. Just like when Mycroft with his brother used to visit: lights in the trees, _nissen_ to be spotted everywhere, some festival tunes and even snow when the weather is playing along. Which it does not, today; quite the opposite in fact: it is rainy and gloomy and foggy, and overall nasty and cold. This is the reason why Mycroft Holmes has decided to pay the café/tearoom a little visit instead of taking his daily luncheon in his manor alone.

A slight change of patterns and the game, unknown to him, is on. Because Mycroft has barely sat down, just has started pondering if he should maybe try out one of the delicious looking pastries on display, when one of those are set on his table by Molly.

 

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Time is an essential part of Sherlock’s plan to bestow something upon John.

It is only proper, after all. Has Mummy not always taught him to be kind to people and friends in particular (if John was a friend, that is, and at this thought Sherlock got a bit erratic, only to come to the conclusion that Sherlock Holmes indeed wanted John to be his friend.) So it is only polite and logical to give something in return, isn’t it? Sherlock spent hours trying to find the perfect gift and when he found it, he might have shouted “Oh! Oh, it’s Christmas!”

It is the sixth of December, St. Nicolas Day, to be precise, when Sherlock surprises John with fireworks. The museum has just closed; John has stepped out of the school and is just on his now familiar way to the Pharmacy Garden, when the first firework explodes.

To say that John is startled would be an understatement. Some people might even say that it is a bit not good because John was once a soldier in His Majesty’s Army. However, as you probably have gathered already, John is not the average type. Therefore, instead of being shocked, he laughs. Then he puts on speed and hurries to the lunatic because John Watson is maybe not as smart as Sherlock Holmes is, but never ever assume that he is not capable of learning! He is a teacher, after all. A teacher who remembers fondly now, while rushing over to the madman, all the hours of rapid talk about ancient fireworks and how the procedures and mechanics are well-known and in use for centuries, first “invented” by the Chinese.

In the end, both men stare up at the sky together. Its pitch-black background provides contrast for all colours of the rainbow. For split seconds, the night is full of light. Long after the last firework finds its way up, laughter, giggles, and shy smiles fill ‘The Old Town’.

 

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Then there is the incident with the new suit Greg has ordered from Anderson the tailor, only to hear to his astonishment that it is already paid for. When wearing the new suit for the first time, he gets a long look and even a small nod from Mycroft come evening. Greg makes sure that he brings Mycroft his beer personally and to stay just a fraction longer at the table to give him the opportunity to admire his suit. It is only proper to say thank you for a gift, is it not?

 

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Then Sherlock and John visit Greg after work. Just two friends going to a tavern, like two mates meeting in a pub, nothing special. Sherlock might have tried to tame his curls during his break, and John might have put on a bit of cologne today, but who is there to judge? Greg, who might be wearing a knowing smirk while handing them their beer, is ignored. The same goes for Mycroft, when he makes his daily last visit here. At least, on John’s part; Sherlock, after spotting his brother after three seconds (bit later than usual but it is dark outside and electricity is not invented yet), is glaring at him but Mycroft just raises his eyebrow and takes his now usual place a bit closer to Greg’s workplace.

 

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It is just another slightly unusual event when Mycroft invites Greg on a carriage ride through the museum. You see, you can not only visit the museum, look at the houses and speak with the staff, bring home baked goods and liquor; another activity is instead of strolling through the narrow streets, you can ride with the old carriages for a small extra fee. As Mycroft is the mayor of the city, he naturally “owns” the most fashionable carriage. It is quite comfortable, even with the cobblestones, so you do not really have to hold each other when riding with it. It does not mean that you cannot... It is a Sunday evening, cold and frosty, snow has fallen just this weekend, and so it is that little bit extra silent and magical when the two men pass their all-familiar houses and see their surroundings in a new way.

 

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It is already the last two weeks to Christmas, when the newest incident is reported. This means that Molly rushes to Mrs. Hudson first thing in the morning and instead of focusing on doing their morning routines, both women giggle, smile, and express awe in equal measure. Suddenly, there is a dog. Can you imagine? A beautiful one, maybe called Redbeard, or Toby, or even Gladstone, the women are not sure. It does not really matter, does it? What matters and what the two kind women are so excited about is the spring in John’s step. The man who just three months ago came to ‘The Old Town’ haunted by his ghosts, heavily relying on a cane, grey faced and hunched, is now smiling broadly.  Just yesterday, Hopkins spotted him looking not only proud but also smug, and as it happens, yesterday was the day, when unexpectedly a dog appeared. A dog that seemed to be a gift for Sherlock. A man who just weeks ago was strange and aloof, a loner, not a vile creature but a curious sort. Sherlock who does have a big heart, maybe even bigger than his already big brain (do not tell him that I said that!) but who learned over decades to hide it away. Now, this man is changed. Sherlock will not start smiling, being always polite, or – god forbid – stop calling Anderson an idiot; but he is kinder, not only to others but especially to himself. A man whose laughter could be heard in unison with the dogs barking and John’s cheer.

 

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It is the week before Christmas when Greg shows off his muscles while helping in the Pharmacy Gardens. It is only a logical solution: first, the two girls, Hopkins and Donovan, can run the tavern on their own; second, Sherlock is more mind than body; and third, to be blunt, Sherlock loves ordering people around. Sherlock gets help to carry all the heavy things (and call Greg an idiot, but affectionately, how things are changing!), while Greg can show off his strength, in particular when Mycroft comes along on his hourly tour.

It might be folly, but aren’t we all fools for love?

 

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Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that two days after this, Mycroft reads fairytales aloud in Mike Stamford’s bookstore. The children and adults alike are delighted. Hans Christian Anderson, Denmark’s most famous and beloved writer – the perfect choice for the season. There is the tale of _The Ugly Duckling_ (1843) who turns out to be the most beautiful swan. That is followed by the sad but so romantic _The Steadfast Tin Soldier_ (1838). Maybe both stories remind the reader and the listener of two other men, one who might be called in another version “a very attractive swan” and the other who is brave, loyal, and addicted to danger. Just a thought... Then it is time for Mycroft’s secret favourite: _The Emperor’s New Clothes_ (1837). Those clothes are non-existent, as you all know (and oh, all the children are laughing when the little child points out “He is nude!”). The following might remind him of his and Gregory’s story: one man who was alone and isolated, while the other one a handsome prince who has to learn one or two lessons in life. Thankfully, their own story ends with a happy Ending, just like the Disney version of _The Little Mermaid_ (1837). Finally yet importantly, the one story that might resemble the starting point of all: the story of the two siblings and their adventure of facing their very own demons, the frozen heart and the castle of ice, _The Snow Queen_ (1844). It is the perfect fit for the season; it is December after all, but it is a mirror of the journey of the two brothers in this particular little fairytale too. It is no wonder that the older, Mycroft, once owned the nickname “Ice Man” and taught the younger, Sherlock, that “all hearts will be broken, caring is not an advantage, and that love is a chemical defect found on the losing side”.

Now though, the ice, just like in Hans Christian Anderson’s famous winter tale, begins to break between the brothers. And the frozen heart begins to melt and love blossoms just like spring finally sprung after a long winter. Finally, the feeling of being frozen in time ends with warmth that surrounds the four men, not only around them but also inside.

 

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Therefore, it happens that with Christmas Eve, there is a start of something new.

Because on Christmas Eve, there is suddenly the wonderful tune of a single violin. The song is _December_ by Robert Schumann, based on _The Twelve Month of a Year_ by Hans Christian Anderson. As you all know, the Dane are very patriotic: they are proud of their country, proud of even the little accomplishments, and over all, they know how to celebrate. Christmas Eve means that the darkest days are over, _Yuletide_ is gone already, and it is just another week until New Year. Now, it is Christmas.

The marketplace, the heart of ‘The Old Town’ is illuminated. Snow has fallen all day, white and beautiful is the scenery. Only the staff members are still here; it is their very own Christmas party. Mrs. Hudson is smiling and tries not to sniffle. She stands next to Molly Hooper who holds her girlfriend close. There are Sally Donovan and Phillip Anderson who have changed over the months as well. Now, with love in the air, they are smiling and I can tell you already, they will wish all of them “Merry Christmas” later – and for the first time in forever, they do mean it. Then, there is Mike Stamford who is grinning, no, glowing. Not only because he is a cheerful man or because it is the season, but also because he knows that – without shouting it over the rooftops – he is the human equivalent of a _nissen_. _Nissen_ , the little persons whose character traits are best described as helpful, positive and encouraging, who make little wonders come true during Christmas time, always unseen but always making the difference.

Lastly, standing very close to each other, there are Mycroft and Greg. You cannot really make out if they are holding hands but I can tell you: they do. And when they do not listen to the wonderful tune then they gaze into each other’s eyes and more often than not share their very own private smile. For one very last time, the time seems to be frozen. For them, Mycroft Holmes and Gregory Lestrade, when the music stops and the “Merry Christmas” are called aloud, instead of going for a hug, their lips meet. For the other two men, the one who played _December_ and the one whom he played it for, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, the latter rushes to him and the former rushes as well and maybe they really meet in the middle, but who cares in the end how many meters or how many months or minutes separate them, when two hearts have finally found each other.

It happened once upon a December.

THE END

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction. Still, most of the discriptions of 'The Old Town', the open air/living museum in Aarhus are correct. 
> 
> The Old Town/Den Gamble By:  
> 
> 
> Nissen (little helpers of Santa):  
> 
> 
> For further information about 'The Old Town' (in English!) and for much more photographs:
> 
>  
> 
> [ wikipedia article ](http://https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Town,_Aarhus)  
> [ tourist information in Aarhus ](http://www.visitaarhus.com/ln-int/den-gamle-old-town-museum-gdk631880)  
> [ the official 'The Old Town/Den Gamble By' homepage ](http://www.dengamleby.dk/engelsk/the-old-town/)
> 
> The incredible talented khorizar has made beautiful art for 'The Old Town':  
> 


End file.
